


Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts

by Princess_Citrus



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Fluff and Smut, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Exploration, M/M, Trans Character, casual transphobia, minor Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 09:31:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4299639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_Citrus/pseuds/Princess_Citrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>North is a trans man with a huge homo gay crush on his clueless, idiot, ultra straight, best friend York. York just wants to help a bro out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have a million other things that I'm supposed to be writing, but I really want to be writing trans!North getting finger blasted and eaten out by York. There's gonna be some buildup to it, if I ever actually get to it. You know how it is.

North could tell that York was making an effort to make him comfortable, losing the 'no homos' and hover hands, but it wasn't exactly working. He wasn't overly talkative about his sexuality, but he made no secret that he was gay. He did make a secret of the fact that he was trans. It wasn't a big deal to the Project; the Director knew, the Counselor knew, F.I.L.S.S. knew. Everyone who knew didn't treat him any differently (though he suspected that it may have intrigued the Counselor, that he was being studied on how he would react to stress and assimilating to a new identity). But just because the higher ups were okay, didn't mean he was keen on sharing with his fellow Freelancers. It's not that he didn't trust them. There was a lot they didn't share about their pasts. They all had secrets. If anything, North's secret was probably less dangerous than most of the others' (he always kept an eye on Florida).

York was trying his hardest, North knew that, but his constant insistence that "he just wasn't into guys because he loved pussy," was making him more and more uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say without drawing undue attention to himself. He wasn't sure how much more of it he could take. It didn't help that he had a huge homo gay crush on his super straight teammate.

York liked to prove how "cool" he was about North being gay by being nearly naked all the time, to show that he trusted him or wasn't threatened by him or whatever. He appreciated that he was trying, he really did. He was just a poor, misguided straight boy who was doing his best to make his roommate comfortable. It also didn't help that he constantly told him that he wasn't afraid that North would come onto him because he "knew there was no way a nice guy like you has a crush on an asshole like me."

He was so clueless and so straight and North was absolutely hopeless. He would go crash in South's room and whine to her about his problems and she would shake her head and flick his ear. She would always say "what's the one rule we have?" and North would sigh and answer "not to fall in love with straight people." Then, he learned about South's ridiculous crush on her totally not-a-lesbian roommate and teased her mercilessly. Then, they would get together in the hangar and drink 479er's planet side booze and whine to her. 479er was the perfect confidant. She was trans and a lesbian and she listened to them complain and poured them more alcohol. She also wasn't afraid to smack South upside the head and tell her she was being a biphobic prick when she complained that she couldn't trust CT not to stray for some man if they ever got together.

It was one of those days where York and North were both training in rooms next to each other, North working on his marksmanship and York picking a lock, and York was chatting just to fight the silence. Usually North tuned him out, but he was back on the "y'know, I just don't know if I could ever suck a dick and that's why I like girls" train and it was pretty hard to ignore.

North put down his rifle when F.I.L.S.S. announced a decrease in proficiency for his last round. "York, I'm trying to train," he growled into the comm.

"Sorry," York replied.

He picked up his rifle and had F.I.L.S.S. start another round in the silence before York started up again.

"Did I say something weird?" he asked.

"No, York, it's fine. I'm just trying to concentrate." He swore under his breath when he missed his first target.

"No, you sound like you're annoyed or something. You gotta tell me if I fuck up, man, you know how clueless I am. If I don't know what I did wrong I'm gonna keep doing it. I don't want to be that guy."

North sighed and terminated the round. "It's fine."

"North, please just tell me. I don't want to make things weird."

North dragged his gloved hand over his visor. He was not going to stop until he got an answer. "It's just…very cissexist."

"…what?"

He knew this was going to happen. This was why he didn't want to have this conversation. "You don't have to prove to me how open minded you are, it's fine. I'm okay with you being straight. That's not a problem. But the things you're saying are cissexist."

"...Okay, I swear I'm not trying to be a dick, this is an honest question. How is me liking having sex with women, but not men sexist?"

"Not sexist, York, cissexist. It's how you're equating body parts with gender. Not all women have vaginas and not all men have penises. There's nothing wrong with the fact that you've only had sex with cis women, but there are trans people on board this ship." He hoped he didn't give away too much of his position. He tried to keep the conversation focused on women to keep the attention off of trans men and by extension himself.

"Oh," was all York said. It was quiet again, but North was all nerves and he knew he wasn't going to be able to get much more practice in, so he snuck out of the training room as discreetly as possible. York probably needed time to think anyways.

They saw each other at dinner, like usual. York was late to the mess, like usual and North saved him a spot and a roll, like usual. "Thanks man," he said, sitting down next to him.

"Don't mention it." York began to shovel food into his mouth, again, like usual, and North thought that he could relax, that they could go back to normal.

He was wrong. "I thought about what you said earlier." North swallowed his mouthful without chewing all the way. It hurt as it went down his throat. "I'm sorry for saying those things."

"It's fine. You didn't know," North dismissed him, taking a sip of juice.

"Will you stop making excuses for me?" North paused and put the carton down. He looked over at his friend. He had a serious look on his face. "I want to be better, North. I don't want to be that kind of guy that makes people feel uncomfortable. I know I stick my foot in my mouth a lot but I don't want to, you know, hurt people. If I'm being transphobic or homophobic or-or acephobic or something, I'd rather know about it." North felt sheepish. He'd been so concerned with how he felt about things that he hadn't considered how York might feel about it. "And you're my best friend. I don't want to hurt you." The conflicting pain and warmth he always felt when York called him his best friend spread through his chest. They were best friends and he liked that York felt that way about him, but he wanted more. He knew it wasn't fair of him to be angry at York for his feelings (or lack thereof), so he felt angry at himself.

 _I'm a horrible friend_ , North thought to himself. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Will you tell me in the future if I fuck up or make you uncomfortable?" York asked, making eye contact with him.

"Yes," he answered, then went on, "Could you…be less naked back in our room?"

"Yes, I can." The corner of York's mouth pulled up into a half smile. "Oh, and North?" York put one finger on his chest plate. North looked down to see what he was pointing to and York flicked his nose. "Gotcha."

"You asshole!" North punched York's arm gently and York shoved him back. "I cannot believe I put up with you."

"You love me."

 _More than you realize_ , North thought, but he didn't say anything to ruin the moment.

They fell into their usual bedtime routine, North getting ready and getting into his bunk first, letting the sounds of York moving about calm him. York always like to chat before they fell asleep, just to talk, about life, about the universe, about the project. The one sided conversation never really strayed to before the project. He let York's musings on classic locks lull him to sleep.

He was so fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what I'm doing

Delta was a nice enough AI, but he scared North. He was the embodiment of logic, analyzing everything he came across. If there was something he didn't understand, he asked questions…loudly. He also made observations loudly, noting when one's behavior might suggest being slightly deceitful, effectively ruining any and all jokes told within auditory processing range. They tried to keep York and Wyoming separate for this reason. (There was only so many times one could listen to the back and forth "you are lying" "no I'm not" "that was a lie" "no it wasn't" "you are still lying" "no I'm not" before someone got pulled. Delta and Gamma didn't exactly mesh well together).

It was entirely possible that Delta was completely up to date on gender theory, but North had encountered some…old fashioned tech before: doors to gendered bathrooms that wouldn't let him in, ID scanners that were overloaded by what they considered to be conflicting information, billboards that shorted out when they couldn't decide what to advertise for him.

But it was more than that that made him nervous. It was more than Delta announcing a change in South's blood pressure or questioning parts of human nature that made him anxious. It was the way that York had changed since his implantation that scared him. His personality wasn't any different, nothing like that, but he was different around North. He stared at him more, was quieter, was more withdrawn. North could only assume the worst, that Delta had mentioned to him an incongruity in his biology that he didn't understand, and now York didn't want to be friends with him anymore.

He was currently banned from the hangar, South and 479er decided to console each other during their struggles. He did manage to sneak a bottle of the illicit booze to his room. He nursed it, moping, feeling like his world was over. The door hissed open and North startled, attempting to hide his bottle. He relaxed when he saw that it was only York and managed to keep from spilling it on himself.

"Oh," York said, stopping. "Should I..?" he gestured to the door with his thumb.

"No, no, it's your room too." He shrugged, then offered the bottle. "Want some?"

"479er?" York asked, taking it from his hand. Their fingers lingered longer than necessary, which surprised North. He nodded. "She's great," York commented, taking a sip. He sat down on the bed next to North and handed the bottle back, picking at a thread on his shirt.

"Everything okay?" North asked. He hadn't ever seen York like this, nervous. True, he wasn't as confident as he would have people believe, but he seemed unsure about something.

"Can I tell you something?" North's stomach dropped. This was it, this was the reveal that York knew about his secret, that they couldn't be friends anymore. He put down the bottle and nodded, pulling his feet up on the bed and wrapping his arms around his knees. York sighed and clenched his fist once before relaxing it. "I know I make a lot of jokes about how I would totally be into you if I were gay and how I know you don't like me and stuff like that, but…" he took a deep breath. "I think that I do like you. I don't want to make things weird, I mean, I'm pretty sure I've already been making it weird, but I don't want to make things weird, weird…" He stopped and took a moment to compose himself. "I like you. In the totally gay way. Even if I'm not gay. Bi is still a thing, right?"

North was too stunned to react. It was like his brain had overloaded and was rebooting. He could even visualize a spinning rainbow wheel above his head. The first thing he could respond to was his question. "…Yes. Bi is still a thing…" he answered.

York shrugged. "I'm still figuring things out, I guess. But I do know that I like you. And this is probably super not chill of me to spring on you like this, but with missions getting more dangerous, losing Utah and Georgia…I felt like I needed to tell you." York looked up at him with a nervous smile, searching him for a reaction.

North could feel a laugh bubbling up from his chest and stifled it, knowing it would not be appreciated. "York…I…I don't know what to say…" York looked a little panicked, so North reached out and took his hand. He let a little of the laugh escape and York smiled. North cleared his throat. "I feel…the same. I was afraid I was the one who was going to ruin everything." He laughed more and soon York was joining him.

"Look at us. Two special ops super soldiers acting like kids," he teased. "If only I had been implanted sooner."

North tensed. Delta? What did he have to do with this? Were his suspicions correct? Did Delta tell York about him and York decided it was safe to make an exception to his sexuality because he "wasn't really a man"? He swallowed. "What do you mean?" He asked, hiding the fear in his voice.

York rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I've kind of known that I liked you for a long time, but I was kind of in denial about it. I was mister hetero lady killer, I didn't know how to deal with it, so I pretended that it wasn't real. But Delta saw right through it. Being in my head and all. He didn't understand why I was in denial. He doesn't really have the same ideas of gender and sexuality that we do. So he'd pester me about it, trying to understand. And when he started to understand so did I. At first I was pissed at him, but now, I'm really glad."

North disguised his relief as gladness. "Me too," he said.

They stared at each other, neither sure what to do next.

"Well, this is awkward," York finally said.

"Yep," North replied, popping the p

"What do we do now?"

North pursed his lips, thinking. "Well, we don't have to go through the awkward getting to know each other part. It's going to be complicated, just because of the nature of our professional relationship, but I think we can make it work. We can talk about it some more later."

"Yeah, it's a lot to process." York drummed his fingers on his knee. "Can I kiss you?" He asked.

North blushed and nodded. They really were like kids. York awkwardly stretched over his legs to kiss him softly on the lips. North sighed. He had forgotten how nice it was to be kissed. York smiled when he pulled back, then stood to get ready for bed.

North eyed the jet fuel. He needed to tell Niner about this. She would probably know what to do. Being a transwoman she had probably had experience with having to come out in relationships. He was happy, but he had no idea what he was going to do now.

York turned off the light and slipped into his bunk. Tonight's topic of conversation was star nurseries. It was nice to listen to. North was lulled to sleep quickly and he almost missed what York said, slipped casually into the middle of his talking: "Love you, North." North grinned, pretending to be asleep like York thought he was. Maybe he wasn't so fucked after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> North tells York his secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short because the smut chapter, the whole reason I wrote this damn fic, is next.
> 
> Talk of surgeries and bodies and what not.

There wasn't much time for romance aboard the MOI, but they made it work. It wasn't much different from their usual routine and time spent together, just more open. They already did a lot together, so there wasn't really much else they could do- aside from make out. That was new. It was pretty great. North was still anxious about telling York about his secret, but for the most part he was content.

Everything was going fine.

York approached him as he was getting ready to shower. York had already stripped down to his skivs, but that was normal York. He walked around naked a lot before they had even met. The locker room was empty so York pulled North in for a quick kiss. When they pulled apart, York was staring at him intensely.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, intertwining their fingers.

York gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, I'm just…happy."

"I'm happy too," he said, but he could tell that York had more on his mind. "What is it?"

York twisted his lips, trying to decide on his words. "Maybe I'm moving too fast, but we already know each other, right? And I've had a crush on you for, like, forever and D's always telling me about my subconscious and everything and I was just thinking that I would like…to take a shower with you."

North shut his locker and sat down on the bench. He was still in his undersuit. What should he say? He wanted to do things like that too! But he was so scared of how York would react when he found out the truth.

"North?" York asked with a worried look.

North sighed. He couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't keep hiding. "I have something I need to tell you. You should probably sit down." York sat down next to him. How was he going to explain it? He'd been avoiding this for so long he hadn't even thought about how he would go about saying it. "I am…I'm not…" he ran his hand over his face. "I want to shower with you and other things. But, there's something you need to know." He felt so uncomfortable under York's penetrating gaze. He wanted to get it over with. "I have a vagina," he whispered.

York took a second or two to process, then shook his head as if to clear it. "I'm not sure I heard you right…"

"I," North said, crossing his arms, feeling vulnerable, "have a vagina. I was assigned female at birth. I'm transgender."

York stared at the floor, trying to take it all in. "Oh," he said. They were totally silent for a minute that seemed to stretch on into an hour. "Do you- can I ask? What about…you know…breasts?" He looked to North's chest, trying to imagine how breasts could fit in that suit and look so flat.

"I had a mastectomy," North explained. "Top surgery."

York nodded absentmindedly. "Do you want to do…bottom surgery?"

North shifted uncomfortably. "Actually…no. I don't really feel any dysphoria about…that." He felt like he'd said vagina too many times already. "It doesn't really make me feel like any less of a man. I never really felt like I wanted a penis…"

He could tell that York was trying really hard to understand everything. "So, you said that you wanted to do…shower and things with me. And I want to do those things with you. So are you…okay with doing those things?" York looked him in the eye as he asked this.

North looked away. "I mean, I want to do those things…with you…but I don't want you to see me as a woman because of…my body. Since you've never done anything with a guy before…most guys won't be like this."

"I don't think of you as a woman." North looked back at him. "I mean, I can understand how it would be difficult if I had know you before you started living as a man or transitioned or whatever. But you've always been North to me. South's big brother. The only time I've ever thought of you as remotely female was when Wash called you a mother hen, but even then it was funny because you _weren't_ female." He laid his hand on top of North's and North tried not to pull away. "I fell in love with Agent North Dakota, I fell in love with a man." He snapped his fingers. "I don't know if this means anything to you, but Delta thinks of you as a man. I don't know how much he knows about your…body, but he's never even suggested that you were anything but male."

Strangely enough, that was the most reassuring thing he could have said. AI fragment Delta, the embodiment of logic, the AI fragment who ruins every joke with being overly literal, thought of him as male. Who could argue with that? He smiled and leaned his head against York's shoulder. He felt York wrap his arms around him.

"You can shower with me…but you have to not look when I tell you to, okay? I need to tidy some things up."

He could feel York's chest vibrate with laughter. "As long as you don't look when I'm picking lint out of my ass."

North laughed with him, sitting back up. "It's a deal." He opened his locker back up and got all of his things out of it. York did the same and followed him to the showers. There was an open, communal shower as well as stalls. North always showered in the stalls. It was a little tight with York in there with him, but they would manage. He'd gotten to know the different showers pretty well so he picked the best one. The water was always hot and it didn't feel like needles when it hit you; perfect temperature, perfect water pressure. York snuggled up behind him, wrapping his arms around his chest, pressing against him for warmth. North angled the showerhead so it would hit both of them.

"Turn around," North told him and he obediently turned. North massaged some shampoo into his scalp and York hummed. They washed each other's backs, never looking each other face to face. York was too short to wash his hair for him, but he did give an excellent lower back massage. "Okay, now turn around and don't look." North grabbed his trimmer and turned it on. He felt so self conscious. It was so loud! He made sure York wasn't looking, then squatted so he could trim down his pubic hair. He wanted to look nice. When he was finished, he swiped his fingers through his lips to clear them of any mucus. When he felt like he was presentable he started washing his face.

"Hey North?" York asked over his shoulder. "Can I turn around?"

North took a deep breath, then answered, "yes." York pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade.

"Can you turn around?" he asked quietly.

North rinsed his face and turned to face him. York was looking right at his face, not even glancing in between his legs, smiling at him. He pulled North in for a kiss and North allowed him to.

"After this…do you want to..?"

"Yes," North breathed against his lips. "Yes I do."

"I'm not…I'm not going to get you pregnant, am I?" he asked nervously.

"No. Don't worry, I don't have the equipment for that," he answered, running his fingers through York's hair. He could feel York breath a sigh of relief against him. "But I would prefer to not do…to not go all the way yet."

"What kind of scoundrel do you take me for?" York teased.

North smiled and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Well then, how about we finish up so we can get to the main event?"

"Way ahead of you," York said gathering his things. He gave North a wink as he pushed aside the curtain. His shower shoes made slapping sounds as he walked away. North took his time finishing. York was very particular about his hair and would be a little bit. He was still messing with it in the mirror when North came out, a towel wrapped around his waist. York was in his boxers. Neither of them saw the point of getting dressed. No one was about when they returned to their room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> North and York get to know each other better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies, gentlemen, distinguished guests, what you've all been waiting for, the whole reason this fic exists, I give you: the smut chapter.

North was having second thoughts. York said that everything was okay, but what it he was lying? "It's okay if you don't want to do this. I know this is probably not what you imagined your first time with a guy would be like, so-"

"North. I want to do this. If you don't want to do this, I'll stop. But I-" he punctuated each pause with a kiss as he made his way down his chest. "have…been…looking…forward…to…this…" He tenderly unpeeled the towel from around North's waist, revealing him. His curly blonde hair was neatly trimmed, framing the lips of his pussy. North dug his fingers into the sheets, feeling self conscious as York examined him.

"Stop staring," he muttered. He tried to hide his blush by turning away.

"Can't help it, you've got a nice looking pussy," York teased. "I mean, unless you really don't want me to. Or if you don't want me to say things like that…"

"No, it's fine. I'm just nervous…" North sighed and adjusted himself so he was sitting up against the pillows they'd piled behind him. He had the same worries he always had. "I just…I don't want to be, you know, a girl to you."

"I promise I don't think of you that way at all. You were a man when I met you and you're a man now. The fact that you've got a delicious looking pussy doesn't change that." He scootched up awkwardly so he could kiss North. "I want to make you feel good and I want you to feel good about yourself. I swear on my life that your genitalia does not influence my view of you." North bonked their foreheads together and took a deep breath.

"Okay…I think I'm ready…"

"Good because I am about to blow your mind." York squished in a little closer to him, making the most of the tight space they had, and placed his closest hand on North's stomach, his farther hand slipping in between his legs. North gasped when two fingers slipped in between his lips to hold them open and a third teased at his clitoris. He let his head loll to the side as York worked him up and got him wet. North sighed happily as the tension started to unwind from his body. York was humming in his ear as his fingers explored, dipping inside him. North lifted his hips to give him easier access. York kissed his ear and his chin and his neck.

He slipped one finger inside of him, then another and curled them drawing a moan out of him. He could feel York working out a rhythm. He would push in and pull out three times, then on the fourth time in he would curl once, then he would pull out, push in, pull out, push in, pull out, push in, curl, pull out, use his middle finger to tease his clitoris, and repeat. It was a little repetitive, but it was soothing. He started to roll his hips a little in time with York's hand. York had to shift into a more comfortable position, using his right arm to prop himself up, then he continued. He started to mix it up, squeezing his clit in between his finger and thumb, teasing circles around it with his middle finger, then using his whole hand to massage everything. Being shorter than him, his head ended up resting on North's chest, but it was just as well considering how North had seemed to collapse backwards.

It was bliss. North had hardly dared dream of this scenario and now it was playing out like a fantasy come to life. York's fingers withdrew from him and he wiggled out from being wedged in between North and the wall.

"That was nice…" North hummed

"Oh honey, that was just the appetizer. Now get ready for the main course." North opened one eye, wondering when he'd closed them. York was positioning himself between North's legs, propped up on his hands. North flushed a little. He's never experienced this before. Most of his former partners refused to.

"You don't have to-" he started, but York cut him off.

"North, be a good boy and let me eat you out."

North went pink, but didn't say a word. He drew in a sharp breath as York bent his knees, lifting them, positioning them the best way for the job. He let it out slowly as York dragged his tongue up his slit lazily, circling his clitoris when he reached the top. York pressed a kiss to it, creating suction around it before pulling off with a pop, making North's toes twitch. He left similar kisses all up and down his vagina, making his lips all red and puffy. He buried his nose in his pubic hair and lapped at him, stiffening the tip of his tongue for just the right amount of pressure. North was breathing heavily, not much of a moaning type, though he did let out a couple squeaks here and there.

"Is it good?" York asked coming up for air, eyebrows raised with concern. "I'm not getting a lot of feedback here."

North chuckled and nodded, then pushed his head back down. York popped back up with a smile.

"Say no more," he teased, before getting back to it. He alternated lapping with sucking on his clitoris, then drawing zig-zags up and down him with his tongue. North grew more confident. He let his hips roll with the rhythm and even felt brave enough to moan a little through his nose. He could feel York making sounds of encouragement and it tickled, but it felt nice. He gasped when York slipped his fingers inside of him, adding the other rhythm, combining them. He crossed his ankles behind York's head and his knees started to squeeze together unconsciously. York pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his thumb, putting direct steady pressure on his g-spot. His other hand crept up to grind his clit down with the pad of his thumb, his tongue still lapping.

"Stay there stay there stay there stay there stay there-" he babbled while York pulsed his thumbs. North's hips lifted off the bed and York pressed himself even closer. North felt the first wave of orgasm wash over him and his heels dug into York's back. He let a full moan fall from his lips followed by smaller, quieter ones with each spasm. His entire body relaxed and his legs draped heavily over York's shoulders. He stared up at the ceiling, his chest heaving, blinking slowly. He dully registered York climbing up next to him. He turned his head and gave him a lazy smile. York was wearing a very satisfied smirk.

North leaned over to kiss him, tasting himself on his lips. Not a taste or smell he'd ever been particularly fond of, but he would make an exception to thank the amazing man who brought him that much pleasure.

"Was it good?" York asked, resting his head against North's shoulder. North hummed an affirmative.

"You definitely lived up to your reputation," he teased.

"Well thank god. I'm glad I'm known as good for _something_ on this ship."

North kissed him again, then sat up and stretched. "I want to return the favor, I really do, but I need to go for a run right now," he said, standing up.

"A run? How they hell are you so energetic after cumming?" York asked in astonishment.

"Fun fact," North explained as he pulled on his shorts and a t-shirt. "Vaginal orgasms cause the brain to secrete different chemicals than orgasming with a penis. It's more like adrenaline, whereas for someone with a penis it has more of a sedative effect." He finished tying his shoes. "So relax, wash up, be ready, because when I get back you are going to get the hand job of your life."

York laughed. "I look forward to it." He figured he had about fifteen minutes before North got back if he was going to be doing his usual route so he made himself comfortable, closed his eyes, and replayed what just happened in his head.


End file.
